File-cabinet.



W. J. BALL.

FILE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.80,1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS W. J. BALL.

FILE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

flgNESSES A TTORNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. BALL, 0]? ALANREED, TEXAS.

FILE-CABINET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. BALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alanreed, in the county of Gray and State of Texas, have made certain new and useful Improvements in File-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in file cabinets, and consists in certain novel constructions, and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention, is to provide an accounting device for use in retail stores and like business places which transact business with a large number of customers each day, which may be easily understood and operated, and which will eliminate a large amount of unnecessary book work, while at the same time preserving a correct account of each and every transaction.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a front view of the cabinet, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the filing devices, and Fig. 1 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a case composed of a bottom plate 1, a back plate 2, and ends 3, and the back plate is provided with lugs or brackets 4, secured thereto by screws 5, and provided with an opening for receiving a screw 6, whereby to secure the case or cabinet to a wall or other support 7. A plate or board 8 depends from the front edge of the bottom of the case, and is hinged to the said edge by hinges 9, and the said plate is provided with a plurality of filing devices to be presently described in detail. The case is also provided with a plurality of shelves 10 and 11 arranged transversely of the back, and connected with the ends of the case. The shelf 10 is arranged with its rear edge abutting the back, and the shelf 11 is arranged below and in front of the shelf 10 as shown in Fig. 2. A plurality of boxes 12 are arranged on the shelves 10 and 11, and on the base plate 1 near the front edge thereof, the said boxes being placed with their sides abutting, and each box has an open top as shown at 13. The base is three times the width of a shelf, and the boxes are of such length, that their upper edges are flush with the upper surface of the next up er shelf, the boxes on the upper shelf extent ing flush Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Serial No. 525,469.

with the top of the case. Each box is provided with a suitable distinguishing designation 14, in the present instance the letters of the alphabet, and as there are three rows of nine each, there is an extra box 12, which is designed for sundries, and is marked rubber bands and paper fasteners. The upper front corner of each end is beveled as at 15 to make a smooth finish, and the case may be suitably ornamented if desired.

The filing devices before mentioned are shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, each consisting of a shield or plate 17, provided near its upper and lower ends with a key hole slot 18, and near its upper end with a lateral arm 19. A file hook 20 extends out wardly from the lower end of the shield and thence upwardly and inwardly, the free end of the hook being approximately level with the top of the shield. A hook is also connected with the lateral arm, and extends forwardly therefrom as at 21, and at its extremity is bent abruptly upward as at 22, at right angles to the portion 21. A number of dating cards 23 are hung on the portion 21 of the hook, the said cards being preferably numbered to correspond with the days of the month, i. e. 1 to 31, and each dating card is somewhat longer than its predecessor as shown at 24 in Fig. 2, the shortest card occupying the last place on the hook. The filing devices are arranged on the file board 8 in two rows of (5 each, there being 12 devices in all, and they are held in position by two screws 25, one engaging each of the key hole slots 18. It will be evident that any one of the said devices may be easily removed by lifting it slightly upward to bring the large portion of the slot in register with the screw head and then moving it outwardly. Each of the filing devices is designated by a distinguishing mark 26, in the present instance the abbreviations for the months, and each device is provided with 31 cards as shown, the cards hanging alongside the shields in convenient proximity thereto.

The device is employed as follows: Its use and purpose is to save time and labor to retail stores, lumber yards, meat markets, black-smith shops and other like business enterprises. The duplicating sales tickets, as are used by most retail concerns are used. To illustrate: if the system is installed in the month of January, the January arm file, which is easily removed from the file place, near the cash or ticket drawer.

' month.

board, is here brought into important use, by taking it from the file board, (in the ofiice), and placing it in some conven ilelrlit e original of all cash and charge tickets made during the day, are put in the cash or ticket drawer. The duplicates of all charge tickets, are put on the arm file that has been brought near the cash or ticket drawer, filing the duplicate tickets with the written side down, puncturing the ticket in the center about one-half an inch from the bottom. At the close of the first day, from the arm of the arm file is taken dater card 1. The second day, card 2, and so on, thus separating each days duplicate tickets on the file. The dater cards are put on the file, with the numbered side, to the tickets. Should the customer wish a bill for a charge purchase, this is made and given by using a second carbon paper and blank ticket, making a triplicate bill which is given the customer.

At the close of the days business, the orig inal of the cash and charge tickets are separated, and each batch separately pinned together. The charge tickets are then assorted to ascertain if any customer has had made more than one charge ticket during the day, which is very often the case. If so they are placed in the charge batch of tickets following the other. This for the purpose of saving time and labor of going to the customers page in the ledger but once for the day. All charge tickets, are posted directly from the tickets to the ledger, the ledger page being put on each ticket when posted, and the number of the ticket, if desired, put in the folio column on the ledger page. The total charge sales for the day is ascertained by adding all the postings of the charge tickets on a slip, which is pinned to the charge tickets. Illustration: If Mondays charge tickets total up $50.00, this amount is carried to the slip for Tuesday being the first ciphers written on Tuesdays slip, and the footings of Tuesdays charge sales, being added to the $50.00 brought from Monday, carrying the amount forward each day to the end of the week, when the total amount is credited to mdse. a/c, on the ledger, by credit sales. In this way the day book so commonly used, is dispensed with, saving the time in transcribing the tickets to the day book and from day book to the ledger. Each days charge tickets, for each month, when daily posted to the ledger, are strung together and kept in the safe, for safe keeping against loss by fire etc. At the end of the year, there will be twelve batches, one batch for each At the end of the month, as illustrated by January, the arm file, which contains all the duplicate charge sales for January, is carried from near the cash or ticket drawer, to the file board, in the office, and placed in its proper place.

As is customary at the end of the month, the bookkeeper renders his monthly accounts for collection. Here again labor and time are indeed saved, and at the first of each month, when bookkeepers are most rushed and overworked. No more itemizing of accounts is necessary under this system. The

salesmen when they made their sales item-.

ized each customers purchases. The bookkeeper at the end of the month or at any time during the month or year, can in a few moments time render an account by going to his customers ledger account and file board. Illustration: Jones desires an itemized account for January. Turn to Jones 21/0 on the ledger. Take from the file board, January, arm file, which contains all duplicate charge tickets for January. Lay the arm file before you, face down, the top of. arm file toward you. If Jones first purchase was on the 5th of the month, his itemized ticket is readily found between daters 4: and .5. Snatch the ticket from the file, lay it out face down, proceed until all of his tickets are taken from the file. Total the account on the ledger. Total the tickets on a strip of paper, pin to the tickets and give them to Jones. Should Jones not be in when his account was made out, drop his tickets into the pocket of the pocket cabinet, labeled J, so when Jones calls, immediately his account is found and presented from the pocket cabinet designed for the purpose.

The improved cabinet may be constructed of any desired material, and may be greatly varied in form and dimensions to suit conditions. It may be suspended from a wall or other support as shown, or may be seated on a table, or provided with legs, forming a separate article of furniture.

I claim:

1. A file cabinet comprising a case having an open front and top, and shelves arranged stepwise thereon, open top boxes on the shelves, each of said boxes having a distinguishing emblem, a file board hinged to the bottom of the case at the front thereof, and a plurality of filing devices on the board, said devices being twelve in number, and each having the abbreviation of a month name, each of said devices consisting of a shield having at each end a key hole slot, the board having spaced pairs of screws for engagement by the slots, a filing hook :on each shield, an arm extending laterally from each shield, a hook on each arm, and a plurality of dating cards on said hook, said cards corresponding in number to the days of the month represented by the shield to which they are adjacent, and being numbered consecutively, and gradually increasing in length from the first to the last, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A file cabinet comprising a case, having shelves, a plurality of open top cases seated on the shelves, a board hinged to the case and depending therefrom, and a plurality of filing devices detachably connected with the board, each of said devices comprising a plate provided with a hook, and with a lateral arm, said arm having a hook, and a plurality of cards 011 the last named hook, the said devices corresponding in number to the months of the year, and the cards being numbered consecutively and corresponding in number to the days of the month.

3. A file cabinet comprising a case, provided with aplurality of pockets each having a distinguishing mark, aboard connected with the case, and a plurality of filing devices detachably connected with the board, each of said devices comprising a plate having a hook and a lateral arm, said arm having a hook, a plurality of dater cards on each of the last named hooks, said devices corresponding in number to the months of the year, and the cards being numbered consecutively and corresponding in number to the days of the month.

4. In a device of the class described, a board, means for supporting the same, and a plurality of filing devices detachably connected with the board, each of said devices comprising a plate provided with a hook and with a lateral arm, a hook on the arm, and a plurality of cards on the last named hook, said devices corresponding in number to the number of the months, the cards being numbered consecutively and correspondmg in number to the days of the month.

5. In a device of the class described, a board, means for supporting the same, and a plurality of filing devices cletachabl connected with the board, each of said devices comprising a plate provided with a hook for receiving articles to be filed and with a lateral arm, a hook on the arm, and a plurality of cards on the last named hook said cards being consecutively numbered and gradually increasing in length from the uppermost to the lowermost card.

WILLIAM J. BALL.

Witnesses:

E. B. REEVES, F. R. MCCRACKEN. 

